VERISMO – A Night of Italian Opera & Dance
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Thursday, May 29, 2025
7:30PM Doors | 8:00PM Performance
Suggested Donation: $25 GA / $15 student, senior, etc.
*none turned away for lack of funds, no pressure*
Tenor Bogdan Mynka hails from the cultural city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, and brings his distinctive voice to stages across continents. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he earned his Master’s degree while studying under renowned vocalists Jerold Siena and Nathan Gunn, whose mentorship has profoundly influenced his artistic approach. He continues to refine his craft as a student of Robert Wagner. Mynka’s international performance credits include appearances at the Kleines Theater in Salzburg, Austria, and the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain. Audiences have recently seen him as Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” on tour with Jefferson Performing Arts Society and as the Officer in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with the New Orleans Opera Association. This July, he is thrilled to make his debut with Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane as Robert in Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.” Mynka is committed to producing opera and theatre that showcases the exceptional local talent in New Orleans—America’s first opera city—and illuminating the stories of New Orleans through the collaborative nature of opera.
Soprano Taylor Witherspoon is from Jonesboro in Louisiana and is a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans in Vocal performance under the study of Luretta Bybee. Taylor has been singing and performing since she was in high school. Her senior year of high school, she was given the opportunity to sing with the national honors choir in Carnegie Hall and later in her undergraduate, at University of Louisiana at Monroe, she was able to continue her craft in Italy at a program called Music in the Marche. While performing scenes with Music in the Marche, Taylor performed in Suor Angelica by Puccini as the title role and in L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi as Poppea. At Loyola, Taylor worked towards becoming a great musician and having a wonderful representation before her graduation and traveling to other countries to further her career and education. Currently, Taylor stays affiliated with various groups within the music community in New Orleans; One of these groups includes the Opera Festa Singers and she has also performed with the New Orleans Opera in their production of Tosca. She aspires to perform with amazing colleagues and travel the world doing beautiful productions while inspiring others to do the same.
Dancer Edward Spots is a talented dancer, actor, and singer born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduating from Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Boston, he joined Alvin Ailey II, where he toured extensively both domestically and internationally. Edward has made notable appearances on popular shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, and Bulgaria’s Dancing with the Stars. Recognized as one of Gambit’s 40 Under 40, he continues to showcase his artistry across the vibrant stages of New Orleans. To follow his journey, connect with Edward on Instagram: @spotsedward.currently dancing with Big Freedia.
Adrienne Simmons is a New Orleans-based dancer, singer, and actor, focusing on works with inclusive representation for diverse audiences in hopes of widening perspectives. Beginning their formal ballet training at Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Adrienne has trained in many styles with DanceWorks Chicago, University of the Arts, Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, Brenau University, Dallas Ballet Company, The Washington Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. She is a proud member of Mélange Dance Company and a dance instructor at the Louisiana Academy of Performing Arts. Recent dance credits include Speak(Easy) (Mélange), Fantômes (Mélange), The Upstairs Lounge (Mélange), The Nutcracker (New Orleans School of Ballet), and The Ballet Goes to Broadway (JPAS). Her vocal experience ranges from pop-rock and jazz to musical theatre. She finds interdisciplinary projects the most fulfilling, combining each of her talents. Recent musical theatre credits include Closer to Heaven (Shell) and One Piece (Crescent City Theatre Alliance). Her acting experience encompasses both film and theatre. Stage appearances include Penny Dreadfuls (TWTC), A Streetcar Named Desire (TWTC), and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Theatre UNO). Adrienne holds a BS in Management and BA in Theatre from the University of New Orleans and is currently pursuing an MBA. IG: @adriennecsimmons
Live light painter and projectionist Monica Rose Kelly is a local artist with numerous accolades. Her innovative and jaw-dropping ‘live light painting’ blends expressionist digital brushstrokes with video and animation, creating an immersive experience of color and light that moves in time with live music. She performs alongside both local and touring acts and is recognized as one of the premier visual artists in New Orleans’ music scene. Monica is known for her illustration and murals as well, her recent works including the 2024 French Quarter Festival poster and the “Gumbo Botanica” mural on Elysian Fields and St. Claude Ave.
Pianist Dr. Brandon Banks has received praise for his ability to follow fellow musicians, the rapport in collaborating with musicians, outstanding sight-reading ability, and quick learning skills. He began his music studies at the age of 14 and became a self-taught pianist. He received his first church appointment a year later as service pianist. At 16, he began musically directing with the show Guys and Dolls (2011) in his hometown of New Bern, NC. He began his formal studies at East Carolina University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Choral Education (2016). He continued on at ECU and obtained his master’s degree in Piano Performance. During his tenure at ECU, he continued musically directing numerous shows including In The Heights, Les Misérables, Rent, Company, and others. He has also served as a pit musician for local theaters and high school musical productions. He has accompanied choirs at the middle and high school level and accompanied all-county choruses in North Carolina. In 2018, he relocated to further his education at Florida State University. He obtained a second master’s degree in Piano Performance with a concentration in Collaborative Piano (2020) and continued serving as a pit musician for local community theaters and as a church musician. He also met his wife, an opera singer, during this time and frequently collaborates with her. Both he and his wife pursued their doctorates together and completed them simultaneously. In May 2023, Brandon received his doctoral degree in Piano Performance, with a concentration in Collaborative Piano. He is a noted Hindemith scholar and is currently recording all of the works written for piano. He has compiled his first IPA transcription of Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna and will continue transcribing all of the vocal literature. His doctoral treatise focused on Hindemith’s song cycle Das Marienleben and is titled “Uncovering Word Painting and Motivic Structures within Paul Hindemith’s Das Marienleben.” He is a member of the music honor society Pi Kappa Lamda and a certified educator in the state of North Carolina. He currently serves as music director for the summer camp Belvoir Terrace in Massachusetts and as a staff pianist for Loyola University in New Orleans.
